Tabor Baptist Church

• 3 Reasons why Othniel is the best judge
• Othniel reminds us of God
• Othniel fights for God
• Othniel saves with God

Othniel reminds us of God

• We don't know much about Othniel
• He might seem boring - few remember his name
• Through Othniel we see what God is doing
• This time of the judges is an absolute mess - explanation
• Through Othniel we see God at work
• He reminds us what God's people should be - shining lights
• The Israelites forgot who they should be
• When we stop living like Christ His image gets distorted
• Clip from Finding Dory - a very forgetful fish - how often are we like this?
• The situation in Judges is a similar kind of mess
• We all forget things - illustration
• Jesus instructed His disciples to meet regularly for communion to remember His sacrifice
• 'With your mouths you worship Me but your hearts are far away' - worship was a sham, people were not loving God
• The Israelites "did evil in the sight of the Lord, they forgot the Lord" (v7)
• We needing to keep on reminding the young people of the Gospel
• God handed over the children of Israel to the King of 'double wickedness' for 8 years
• Quote
• God loves us to much to stop reaching out to us
• Example of the Prodigal Son
• Othniel wants the people to remember that God is good all of the time
• The Israelites did cry out to God (v9)
• The Israelites cried out many times - but only one occasion of genuine repentance (10:15-16)
• God has not waited for His people to repent but has reached out to His people
• God does correct us after allowing us to reap our own evil desires for a time
• God sent Christ into our life
• We do not truly seek after God, He seeks after us

• God sent Othniel

• Othniel remembered Joshua and Moses
• Othniel reminds us of God and who the children of God should look like

Othniel fights for God

• 1:11-12 cf. Deut 7
• The Israelites married foreign women and they worshiped foreign gods
• Othniel choses Achsah (axe) - it is as if he is saying that he will cut down the Asherah poles
• He married into a godly family - Example of Caleb
• Look at her godly wisdom (1:15)

Othniel saves with God

• Saved (Delivered) - 8 words before and 8 words after, the most important part of the section
• We know the Lord saves
• Scripture is vague about whether it is Othniel who saves or the Lord saves
• The prayer of every preacher - that they remember God (and not themselves)
• Othniel has the ability to 'get out of the way' and say 'look at God'
• Deacons should be the same
• How often do we do things (even serving God) for public recognition?
• John 3:28-30 & 31-34 -Example of John the Baptist
• Othniel serves God and others as he is empowered by the Holy
  Spirit

Closing Remarks  (inc Ezk
36:24-28)